Naval History and Heritage Command

Code of Conduct

I. I am an American, fighting in the armed forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.

II. I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.

III. If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.

IV. If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.

V. When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number, and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.

VI. I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.

(Note: Established by Executive Order No. 10631 in 1955, the Code of Conduct has been amended twice throughout its history. The first was in 1977 by Executive Order 12017 and the second by Executive Order 12633 in 1988. The text above reflects those changes.)  

Oral Histories

U.S. Navy Nurse Prisoner of War in the Philippines, 1942-1945

Recollections of Capture by the Germans

World War II Rescue of Prison Ship Survivors

POW Letter

Rear Admiral William J. Galbraith, USN (Ret)

POW/Casualties

U.S. Prisoners of War and Civilian American Citizens Captured and Interned by Japan in World War II

World War II Casualties

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Personnel Killed and Wounded in Wars, Conflicts, Terrorist Acts, and Other Hostile Incidents 

Biographies

Joseph LaMonte Zundell

Hubert John VanPeenen

Perspectives

Japanese Story of the Battle of Midway

Perspectives on Enhanced Interrogation Techniques

Japanese Interrogation of Prisoners of War 

The Battle Behind Bars

Images

Prisoner of War Mail

Prisoner of War Camp # 44, near Kobe, Japan

Prisoner of War Camp # 183, at Kobe, Japan

Paul Galanti

Operation Big Switch

Infographic & Blogs

POW/MIA Table Infographic

The POW/MIA Table: A Place Setting for One, A Table for All

Dirt, Taps & Nursey Rhymes: Vietnam POW Book Offers Insight Into Captivity

Navy Legend Vice Adm. Stockdale Led POW Resistance 

Bibliographies

U.S. Navy Prisoners of War and War Crimes Trials: A World War II Bibliography

Conflict in Southeast Asia - Bibliography